Obi-Wan was still unsure of the events that had transpired, even after his conversation with Talor about Maridian had fizzled into nonexistence. He was beginning to become leery of his employer, but still did not have enough to base a fair judgment on. He certainly understood the man had the manners of a doormat, and his respect for women was about a centimeter deep. Two very negative qualities that Obi-Wan found lecherous and repulsive.

However, the man was far too experienced to not share some of his desert stories with a newcomer, so Obi-Wan lent the man one of his ears and halfheartedly listened to the tales. His other ear he kept on the activity of the bar, most of his senses fully given over to the mixtured swirls ensuring about the force. He watched Maridian from the corner of his eye, and had to admit that Talor had been partially right.

He had the suspicion that there was much more about Maridian than the centimeter-deep pool he knew about her. Besides knowing she was force-sensitive and a bit flustered around him, she seemed to have a genuinely personable attitude. She engaged her customers with smiles and light conversation, making meaningful eye contact and movements. She endured lecherous stares and brushed off forward men as if they were sandbits tossed onto her from a days work on the sand ranges. He noticed she laughed for more than he would've guessed, and that she had a most terrific smile. She radiated youthful passion in a dimly lit pit such as the Crossing Point cantina.

She would make a wonderful friend, he reasoned. Someone genuine; that much to be certain. Genuine, and real. He had not yet met one person in Talba that he would trust father than he could throw them without use of the force, besides her and her family. They seemed like good people – good people sentenced to a grueling misery on Tatooine. But, what was more – they seemed capable to survive such conditions, which spoke more than the idea of hem being good people.

Needless to say – Obi-Wan liked this girl, and he hoped it was more because he thought she was a grand person than it was his own libido.

While he hadn't failed to disengage entirely with Talor yet, he had also not forgotten the two men across the bar in the back booth that had startled Maridian. A Twi'lek with crimson skin and black tattoos, and his companion; a Zabrak with emerald skin and black markings, matched with the distinctive dark horns. Both of the men were muscle; he could immediately sense they had the pride of a name not their own – whoever they worked for had deep pockets, and where there was deep pockets, there was often a brash bravado that gave them cause.

And also, that usually meant there was a victim.

Obi-Wan had sensed Talor's uneasiness most of the night, apart from the lust that radiated off the man's body language. He scoured every waitress that walked back and then some, but he hadn't been able to mask his anxiety from Obi-Wan's abilities. He was unsure about something in this bar, though Obi-Wan had yet to distinguish it. He guessed he was just tired, or that business hadn't been the best. But, then he recalled his running into Talor's business deal earlier that evening –

-with the two suspicious lackeys.

He bristled. Perhaps he should be careful around Talor – he hadn't considered he could be in with the wrong people way out here on the dunes. Then again, he reasoned, even lackeys had to eat, and Talor would be the man to buy from. He wasn't sure of the entirety of the situation, and determined to keep an eye out for trouble. If things got bad, he could duck out of work for Talor and not lose much. Hopefully he'd be able to contact Organa sometime and get some type of financial security, though he didn't like using technology. It always had a way to go back to someone, and he didn't want to take chances with the Empire. Or Luke, or this force-sensitive girl either.

Talor interrupted his thoughts suddenly with a sharp slap of the table with his knuckles.

Obi-Wan jarred back to reality as the man spoke. "Well," he scratched his beard, "I should probably mosey on home," he sighed deeply, "I'm beat. Day comes early tomorrow."

Obi-Wan nodded. He'd mentioned about a business deal in Bestine that might take him out of Talba. Obi-Wan already had plans to check the eastern perimeters of Talor's land tomorrow morning anyway to make preparation for herding grounds, which would take most of the morning. "That it does."

He nodded, "You hangin' around long, or are you following me?"

Obi-Wan nodded to his drink and lifted it, which was still half full. "I think I'll hang around awhile." He ran his fingers through his hair, "Would you care terribly if I went a bit farther to the west? There's something I'd like to look into that way."

Talor didn't seem to press the issue, or care to greatly of the proposition. "Nope. Just make sure the speeder's got fuel and you're golden," he winked at the man, "I trust you, Kenobi."

Obi-Wan didn't feel reassured and nodded to Talor his understanding, "I thank you then."

He chuckled, "Have a good one, Ben."

Obi-Wan gave him a light smile. "And you as well, Talor."

With that, Talor tossed a few credits on the table top and left him. Which was fine, he reasoned – he would quietly people-watch anyway and preferred to be alone with his own thoughts. He still hadn't taken off his cloak and felt warm, but reasoned he didn't mind. He drank his Keela and watched the crowds of the bar come and go, some engaging at the bar and others minding their business over dinner. Most of the patrons seemed to know one another, stopping to talk and make conversation.

Soon his Keela was gone, and he glanced at the glass. Moving it in his hands, he wondered if it would be too bold to move to the bar – if it would speak too much about him or not. He'd noticed Maridian was busy working behind it with the Zeltron waitress instead of taking tables, and he liked the idea of being closer to her to engage her in conversation.

Reasoning his motives were appropriate, he slipped out of the booth and approached the bar, clanking his glass on the counter and sliding it towards the Zeltron woman. She looked up and did not hide the fact that she gave him a once-over more than once. A devious smile that he was sure had tricked many a man into her schemes painted onto her lips, and she put a hand on the bar and reached for the glass. She cocked her hip and tossed the bar rag over her shoulder.

"Whaddya havin', sweetheart?" She drawled. Her voice was thick and raspy, oddly strange to him and not the least bit attractive. He reasoned she was as desperate as the next woman in line for anything that was fresh and new to the area. He politely smiled at her and folded his hands on the bar and gestured to the glass.

"The same. A blue Keela, please."

She smiled at him and winked, "You got it, hon." She set to work on the drink, and he noticed Maridian spin around quickly. She blinked at him a few times, before he nodded to her and waved. She wiggled her fingers back tentatively and gave him an awkwardly crooked smile. She looked relieved, almost, at the sight of him.

He wouldn't lie and say he didn't feel a bit lighter being closer to her, too.

Maridian had stopped taking table's shortly after Ben had seated himself at the bar and looked rooted, as if he'd stay awhile. She engaged the idea that he'd moved closer for conversation, as she reasoned she was the only person he knew in the place besides maybe Thor. She worked busily pouring drinks and prepping glasses for Xee, who'd taken most of the riffraff on the floor. Between her and Miva, they had the tables well in hand; leaving Maridian to tend the bar alone.

Which she didn't mind. She felt more in control behind the bar anyway, with the thick counter to separate her and the lecherous thugs that came into Thor's cantina. She navigated drinks smoothly, as Thor had taught her when she'd come to work for him before – at that time it'd been him and his wife, with a cook and no other staff. He'd taught her everything about the bar and the kitchen, and she'd picked up tables on her own. She much preferred the bar, however – she didn't have to say much, and just had to give the customers what they wanted.

But, however, she felt like she wanted to say a lot with Ben there. For the time of night the bar was pretty sparsely occupied; most people vying for food at the tables, where they could get their hands all over Zee and Miva, who didn't seem to mind the attention. It wasn't unusual for the patrons to feel up the waitresses – it came with the territory in Talba. Not one for that type of advances, she'd opted almost every night to take the bar and left Thor and his wife to the floor.

She poured a strong Space Ale and slid it down the counter to a quiet Duros, who hadn't said two words since seating himself. She moved with her bar rag, clanking glasses as she collected them and moved them around, until she stopped before Ben. She ran the rag through her hands and he looked up from the drink Miva had refilled. Maridian got the sense he didn't know what to say since moving to the bar. She, however, tried not to read into the act too much.

She smiled at him, "Lonesome back at the booth, huh?" Her stomach jumped into her throat. She hadn't noticed her palms had begun to sweat, so she ran her hands through the rag again.

He shrugged and swirled the contents of the blue Keela in his glass, "You saw Talor leave," he confirmed.

Maridian nodded. "Yeah. You notice thing from this angle."

He chuckled and a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. He was wearing that tawdy cloak still. "I can imagine so." He took a drink and she crossed her arms in front of her. He looked her up and down briefly, but tried to hide it. "Tell me something."

Well, this is new. Ben was getting courageous – or comfortable – in conversation with her. He flipped the conversation, and she found that she liked it. The timbre of his voice was almost captivating. She shook herself out of her trance. She smiled at him and shrugged, determined to snip back at him. She couldn't be shy all the time, she reasoned; he'd seen enough of that in her. She would try to be herself – which would be difficult, because he made her feel a rush of different personalities and feelings at once. "Well, that all depends on the something you want to hear."

He nodded, "Fair enough." He situated his elbows on the counter and held the Keela in his hand, gesturing with it at her. She noticed his eyes catch the light at the bar, almost an indigo now in the off lighting. He wrinkled his brow inquisitively and squinted his eyes at her. "What are you really like?"

Without thinking, she laughed at him almost immediately as the words slipped off his well-accented tongue.

It surprised him, as his brows shot up, not having expecting her reaction. A hand flew to her mouth and she contained her laughter, trying hard not to smile. She let it fall from her mouth a few moments later and sighed, reaching for a glass and the bar rag from her shoulder. "That's a presumptuous question."

"Well, I have known you roughly two weeks, and I get the idea you're not being entirely straightforward with me," he got serious now, and gestured to her. "there's something more under there," he scanned her up and down with his Keela-bearing hand, "and I can't figure it out."

She raised a brow. "What makes you think that?" Something pricked within her – a type of warning she wasn't sure about. Perhaps he'd picked up on her ability? No, it was impossible, she concluded. Never before had anyone been able to sense her ability. It began to kickstart her heartbeat, but by the look in his eye, she got the idea he was more talking about her personality. Which was warranted, she would confess. She hadn't been herself when she had encountered him, on all counts. She'd been a mess of emotionally unbalanced hormones and fear every time she'd seen him, or some other type of anxiety. It really wasn't fair first impression.

But how much of her did she really want to reveal to Ben? She wasn't sure. He seemed kind enough, but she still didn't know enough about him to feel entirely safe. While she got the idea he was genuinely trying to befriend her, she was also a bit apprehensive. If she told him everything about her – there'd be nothing left for him to chase. And chasing her was all part of the fun –

-what are you thinking? She chastised herself again, You don't want this man to chase you. While she couldn't afford such a luxury, she knew it was a lie she told herself to make sure she felt better – she did want Ben to chase her. She was head over heels infatuated with this strange, accented man; so sexually attracted to him that it scared her half to hell. She was oddly attracted – and curious – about him.

She was, after all, as woman as the next hot-blooded female.

He was waiting for her reply, she noticed, with a quirked brow. She cleared her throat and sighed, eyeing the glass in her hands. He answered her question, "Well," he began, "from my observations, you seem to be quite a conversationalist," he smiled at her, "and you seem rather quick on your feet and capable. Very outgoing." He gestured to her. "Shall I continue?"

She gave him a pull of a smile on her lips, "Maybe,"

He nodded as if in satisfaction. "Well then," he cleared his throat and threw back a drink, "there's also the fact that everyone has warned me about you being a bit of a spitfire, so, I logically assumed you weren't being straightforward, as you don't' seem to be all of the bravado that people say you are. At least around me." He shrugged nonchalantly and then took a drink. "So, either you're not being entirely honest, or I'm afraid you may be bi-polar."

She stood there, smiling at him like a moron, a bit shocked. Her facial expression must have shown it, because he gave her a smirk. "I'm warm, aren't I?"

"You're quite the observer, Mr. Kenobi."

"I've had practice."

She nodded and turned, reaching for a bottle of whatever Miva was serving, as she eyed the waitress coming towards the bar with a stack of empties. She uncorked the bottle and took a whiff and then looked back at him. She decided she'd be nice and give him what he'd so diligently been digging for. "I'm afraid you're right," she gave him a playful side-glance, "you've found me out."

He smirked, "Have I now?"

She nodded and puffed out a breath, setting the bottle on the table. She scooted it to the side. "Yeah. Really." She shrugged a shoulder. "I've been a little…unsure about you."

He was listening now, intently and seriously.

She continued, shifting her weight on her feet. "Most people that come into Talba either have something to hide or are looking for something to gain," she gestured to the patrons, "so naturally, a business person has to keep things close to the chest." She crossed her arms, "and after you saved me the other day and then met my family and everything happened, I was just….apprehensive. And when I get apprehensive I get a bit edgy. I told you that already." She rubbed her forearm and gave him a side-look that was apologetic. "I'm sorry if I've put you off. I didn't mean to deceive you or anything."

He nodded his understanding, "I see." He took another drink and then looked at her again. "I do not blame you for your reservations," he gestured to her, "I, as I stated earlier, am a bit of an enigma as well." He winked at her, "But I won't be so easy to manipulate into getting answers."

She gave him a mock look of agitated surprise, "Oh, really? I put my heart on my sleeve and you'll give me nothing?" She shook her head, "Well, I can see how this is going to go."

He raised his brows. "You presume this is going somewhere?"

Her heart flared, but she contained it with a sharp slap of her hand on the counter. "You had dinner at my house, sir." She shook her head and pointed sharply at him. "If you think you can write us out of your life after eating our goods, you're dead wrong." She moved towards the kitchen when Miva nodded to her, and she acknowledged the woman with a raised hand, "You fail to understand, Mr. Kenobi, that I own this town." She gestured with her hand, "I know everything about everybody. And I'll figure you out too, I promise. Give me time."

He chuckled and raised his shoulders as if in mock surrender and indifference. "You can give it your best go, Miss Hail," he slapped the counter to emphasize his point, "I look forward to the challenge."

He took another drink, and she didn't fail to notice the fleck of concern pass his features.

Though, Maridian was fairly sure she had just initiated a friendship with Ben Kenobi. And he'd stepped into it.

And, as she moved into the kitchen, she put her hands out in front of her, in unbelief as to what she'd just done. She sighed, let her hip fall against the counter, and ran her fingers mid-way through her curls.

She wasn't exactly sure what she had just done, to be honest.

Ben left shortly after their exchange, leaving Maridian feeling a bit more at ease but also a bit more apprehensive. She had time alone with her thoughts, which she was beginning to think wasn't such a good idea anymore.

While she felt relieved about having set things straight with Ben – she hadn't really been sure there'd been anything wrong in the first place, honestly – she couldn't have helped but feel a bit exposed. She'd literally just told him she'd pulled the wool over his eyes and hadn't been honest about herself – and in return, he'd basically told her that he was a fortress that she wasn't going to breech. Which in itself presented problems. She'd contemplated the exchange over and over in her brain as she served drinks half-heartedly, not paying her patrons much mind.

In turn, it was nearly one before Maridian was able to leave the bar. The usual combers had all but filed out, the late-nighters who either stayed because of habit or helped Thor finish off the remainders of his kitchen scraps hung around like flies and clinging sands, and Thor had ushered her off. She'd thanked him and collected her things from the back, slipping into her cloak and pulling the hood over her head, ignoring the wandering eyes.

She'd parked her father's speeder out back, and went around the corner in a quick turn. Maridian came to it and throttled it to life, clicking on the light. She was about to mount when the idea struck her that at 1AM it wouldn't be smart to travel – her father would be beyond himself if he found out she'd ventured into the dunes at night and hadn't stayed in Talba. She sighed and clicked off the speeder, reasoning she'd have to stay with Manashe or Talor for the evening.

Moving across the village, she came to Manashe's small house, which was jammed between a speeder mechanic and another house. She knocked on the door respectfully, and waitied a few moments. When no one answered, she shrugged her shoulders, exhaustion all but fueling her at this point. She looked around Manashe's porch, and then over her shoulder to Talor's livery, which was across town. The eopies and other animals were moving around in the night and would provide her not only with warmth, but safety.

She ventured across the street, holding the nape of her cloak closed, her booted feet shifting in the sands. Talor wouldn't mind her sleeping in the barn – she'd done it before at her own farm, when the animal's fell ill. It wasn't a new experience for her, and it presented its benefits as well as its downfalls. She'd be up and out before the suns rose, and no one would've known she was there.

Slipping into the tack room, she gathered a blanket and then extinguished the lights, moving towards the line of stalls. She bunked with the younglings, fluffing herself a bed from the straw they slept in. Their doe eyes and dull expressions had been curious at her presence, and when she'd hunkered down on the straw and covered herself with her blanket, they came over and nuzzled her – sniffing, as if unsure of who she was. She'd giggled and nuzzled their soft noses, stroking their necks carefully before shooing them away.

They, however determined, hunkered down around her and snuggled against her body in kind gesture, as if suddenly compelled to provide her warmth. She didn't deny them, and fell asleep soon after their deep breathing reassured her she was bedded in for a night's sleep.

AN: Hello, all! Just wanted to drop a note again and say thanks for the great reviews so far - I'm tickled that ya'll are finding the story enjoyable. It's an author's pride and joy yo get feedback, to be honest. You all are so fantastic. I'm a very fortunate authoress to have you all backing me up and pulling for me! I can't wait to hear more!

And what's more, I wanted to let you know now - Spring Break is almost done for me, so that means updates will be few and far between, I'm afraid. Until graduation (May!), I will be pretty swamped with college - I'm sure you all remember what college and/or school was like; I'm pretty obsessed with grades the way it is, so success is crucial. I don't to things half-way, so it'll be an intense few weeks. Hopefully I'll get some time in-between the mounds of homework I have to update sporadically. Just wanted to let you all know ahead of time, you you can prepare! Gives you all more time to shoot me some ideas - I love to hear them! What do you want to see happen with Obi-Wan and Maridian?